Multiple printing plate and actuating means therefor



F. SHURLEY Jan. 9, 1940;

2,186,914 MULTIPLE PRINTING PLATE AND ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Jurie 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. BY 72422 6475? 52mg,

A TTORNEY.

Jan. 9, 1940. F. SHURLEY 2,186,914

MULTIPLE PRINTING PLATE AND ACTUAT ING MEANS THEREFOR Filed June 27,1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR. 72ed'e Za'c% $752149 Patented Jan. 9194 I MULTIPLE PRINTING PLATE AND ACTUAT- ING MEANS THEREFOR FrederickShurley, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, assignor, by mesne assignments, toGuthrie CeramicLabelling & Machinery 00., Inc., Dover, Del., acorporation of Delaware Application June 27, 1938, Serial No. 215,961

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in multiple printing plates andactuating means thereother things, to provide means whereby work may beprinted in a plu- 'rality of colors in a single operation. 6

' Another'object of" the invention is to provide a multiple printingplate consisting of a plurality of separate cuts, and actuating meansfor moving all thecutswhich print in onecolor to contact one set ofinking rolls, and allthe cuts which print nanother color to contactanother set of inking rolls, and to return all the cuts into-aligm mentprior to each printing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide 15 a multiple printingplate and actuating means therefor wherein the cuts to print in each.color are mounted on movable carriers, andwherein means'are provided formoving the carriers to bring-each set of cuts intocontact with their 2 vproper inkinglrolls, and to provide rests by which all th'e'"cuts'aresupported in alignment during each printing operation.

Yet'another object of the invention is to provide a "multiple printingplate and actuating 35 means therefor including a cam shaft havingone-'setbf cams to actuate each set of'cuts, whereby each set is movedin sequence into position to contact the proper set of" inking rolls.

Having thus briefly stated some of the-major objects andadvantages ofthe invention I will now proceed to describe one embodiment thereof withthe aid of the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure lillustrates a side elevation of a single.

35 form of machine equipped with my invention; Figure 2 is a plan viewthereof, and Figure 3 is a partial sideelevation;

' Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view showing the multiple printing platein position,

40 Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 a single type of machine 46 is shown to which myinvention is applied, though it is of course understood that mymultipleprinting plate and its out actuating mechanism may be arrangedto operate on various types of machines.

50 Referring now to the machine herein illustrated, I designates a basehaving a fixed table 2 thereon, and a vertical drive shaft 3 which maybe driven in any preferred manner as through a pulley 4 shown fixedthereon. Secured upon the upper 55 extremity of the drive shaft 3 forrotation there- Figure6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig- 3 with is aspider 5 having radial arms 6, 1 and 8. Upon each of the arms- 6 and I aconventional set of inking rolls 9 is provided, and the arm 8 carries asuitable work support II]. In the instance shown the work consists of acylindrical 5- vessel A closed at one extremity and open at the other.The arm 8 terminates in a yoke II which carries a disc 82 to bearagainst the open end of the vessel A, and an inwardly extending member[2a upon the disc E2 to seat within the open end- 1' of the said vessel.Axially movable inv the arm 8 and projecting therefrom is a spindle i4terminating in a pad l5 at its outerextremity to bear against the closedend of the vessel A. A

spring l6 around'the spindle I 4 and extending between the arm 8 and thepad l5 urges the pad to its work engaging position. denotes a fin-' gerwhich is pivoted upon the arm 8 and passes through a slot therein toengage a recess Ma formed in the spindle and move the latter axially Iinward against the tension of the spring It to release the, work.

Supported beneath the table 2 in suitable bear ings I8 is a camshaft l9having a gear 20 thereon which meshes with a gear 2! fixed upon thedrive 5.

shaft 3. The gears are so proportioned that one rotation ofthe driveshaft eauses'one rotation of the camshaft. Upon the latter are two earns22 or 23 to actuate each set of cuts 24 or 25 respectively in theprinting plate 26. instance, for the sake of simplicity, only two setsof cuts are shown so that in this case printing in only two colors iscontemplated. Obviously when printing is to be done in more than twocolors additional sets of cams must additional sets of inking rolls areneeded, one for each set of cuts. It will also be noted that all thecuts 24 which printin one color are so formed that they coa'ct with, andare movable independently of, the cuts 25 which print in a second 40color.

Riding upon one pair of cams 22 are elements 21 which project fromopposite sides of a carrier plate 28 having-a plurality of integralcarrier arms 29 uponwhich allthe cuts 24 intended to print in one colorare supported. The carrier arms 29 are slidable through openings formedin the printing plate 26 and through bosses or rests 30 formed thereonwhich constitute stops upon which the cuts 24 normally bear. Similarlyrid- 7 ing upon the second pair of cams 23 are other ele- In the present30 be provided and 34 thereon. Since the carrier plates 28 and 32 arepositioned one above the other the upper carrier plate 32 has clearanceapertures 35 formed therethrough for the passage of the arms 29. Theprinting plate 26 is secured as by screws 36 upon the table 2, which issuitably apertured at 2a for the passage of the carrier arms 29 and 33.

Upon each revolution of the camshaft l9, first the cuts 24 supportedupon the arms 23 are raised, as shown in Figure 5, by the earns 22 justprior to the passage of the set of inking rolls thereover by which thesaid cuts are to be inked. Continued rotation of the camshaft thenpermits the carrier plate 28 and the cuts 24 to drop back into printingposition, after which the cuts are raised by the cams 23 to contact theother inking rolls. The cuts 25 then drop back into alignment with thecuts 24 prior to the passage of the work A thereover.

While in the foregoing the preferred arrangement of the invention hasbeen described and shown, it is understood that the construction issusceptible to such alterations and modifications as fall within thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A printing plate comprising a fixed member, a plurality of cutsintended to print in different colors normally resting against saidmember, the cuts intended to print in one color being separated from oneanother by cuts intended to print in another color, carriers, meansextending from the carriers to the cuts, and means actuating saidcarriers in sequence whereby said cuts are moved in sequence to contacttheir different inking means.

2. A printing plate comprising a fixed member, a plurality of coactingcuts intended to contact difierent inking means and print in differentcolors normally resting against said member, all the cuts being movablein a common plane, carriers, means extending from said carriers to saidcuts, and means actuating said carriers in sequence whereby said cutsare moved in sequence to contact their different inking means.

3. A print plate comprising a fixed member having aperturestherethrough, a plurality of cooperating cuts intended to contactdifferent inking means and print in different colors, all

-- said cuts being movable and normally resting against said member, aplurality of movable carriers, arms extending from said carriers to therear faces of said cuts, said arms intermediately of their length beingslidable through said apertures, and means moving said carriers insequence whereby said cuts are moved in sequence to contact theirdifferent inking means.

4. A multiple printing plate comprising a fixed member having parallelapertures therethrough and rests thereon, a plurality of coacting cutsall movable in a common plane normally resting against said rests,carriers, means moving each carrier in sequence towards said member, andan arm passing through each aperture and extending from one carrier tothe rear sideof one cut.

5. A multiple printing plate comprising a member, a plurality ofcoacting cuts normally rest ing against said member, said cuts beingadapted to contact different inking means and to print in differentcolors, a shaft having a plurality of cams therearound, and carriersactuated by said cams for moving said cuts in sequence to contact theirdifferent inking means.

8. A multiple printing plate comprising a fixed apertured member, aplurality of'coacting cuts adapted to contact different inking means toprint in different colors, said cuts normally bearing against saidmember, a shaft having cams therearound, a plurality of carriers eachriding on different cams, and. arms extending from each carrier to someof said cuts, each arm being slidable through one of the apertures, saidcams being adapted to move some of the cuts to contact one inking meansand subsequently to move other cuts to contact another inking means.

7. In a multiple printing plate, the combination set forth in claim 6,wherein all the apertures through the fixed member are parallel and thearms are longitudinally slidable therethrough so that all the cuts movein a common plane.

8. In a multiple printing plate the combination set forth in claim 6,wherein the carriers are positioned one above the other parallel withthe camshaft, elements project from the carriers to ride on'the cams,and the carrier farthest from the shaft is apertured for the passage ofthe arms extending from the carrier near to the shaft.

9. A multiple printing plate comprising a fixed apertured member adaptedto be mounted upon a printing machine having a rotary spider carrying aplurality of sets of inking rolls and a work support, a plurality ofcoacting cuts normally resting in alignment upon said member,armslongitudinallymovable through the member apertures, carriers, meansadapted to move said carriers in sequence during the spider rotation,some of the arms extending from one carrier to some of the cuts and theother arms extending from the other carrier to other cuts, whereby themovement of one carrier moves some of the cuts into position to contactone set of the inking rolls and the other carrier then moves the othercuts into position to contact the other set of inking rolls, all said.cuts resting in alignment against said member during the passage of thework support thereover.

10. A multiple printing plate comprising the combination set forth inclaim 9, wherein the means adapted to move the carriers in sequenceduring the spider rotation consists of a camshaft driven by the spiderrotating means, said carriers riding upon the cams on said shaft.

11. A multiple printing plate comprisinga plurality of sets of cuts,each set being adapted to print in a different color, at least some ofthe cuts of one set being separated from one another by cuts of anotherset, a carrier plate for each set upon which the sets are rigidlymounted, a member against which the rear faces of allthe cuts normallyrest, and means for moving each carrier in sequence whereby all the cutscarried by each carrier are advanced to contact an inking means.

F'REDERICK SHURLEY.

